Means for making brassieres



W. ROSENTHAL MEANS FOR MAKING BRAssIfiREs Jan. 22, 1935.

Filed Jan. 10, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Jan. 22, 1935. w ROSENTHAL MEANS FOR MAKING RAssIIzREs Filed Jan. 10, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR %TTORNEYS Patented Jan. 22, 1935 Q UNITED STATES ATENT:

MEANS FOR MAKING BRASSIIJRES William Rosenthal, New York, N. Y., a'ssig'norto Maiden Form Brassiere .00., Inc., New York, Y., a corporation of New York I e r A D plication January 10, 1933,'Serial No 650,965; 1 2 Claims'. (o1. 223-19)v l This invention relates to a brassiere made of knitted fabric in which the pockets for the bust are'free of seams. It also relates to an improved method of making such a brassiere by means of 5 which the pockets may be shaped as desired,irrespective of their original shape as knit, and to a method of shaping the pockets to give them the desired form and characteristics not found in the original knitted fabric.

The fabric from which the brassiere of this invention may be made can be knitted on a circular knitting machine of the type which produces what isknown as gussetsf. That is to say, pockets which are knit into the fabric during the knitting operation without any seams, such as would be required in order to form pockets in flat knitted fabric.

Fabric knit in this manner has never been practical for brassires for the reason that'the pockets cannot be given the proper shape and the elasticity and othercharacteristics of the fabric in its original knitted form allows the pockets to stretch and to lose whatever shape they have. By my invention I overcome these defects and secure a brassiere with seamless pockets of the size and shape desired, irrespectivev of their original knitted shape, and which will retain their shape thereafter.

The nature of my invention will be clearly understood from the following specification and drawings, of which- Figure l is a diagrammatic illustration of a piece of fabric knit on a circular knitting machine showing the pockets in their original irregular conical shape;

Fig. 2 is a view of a stretching frame over which the fabric is stretched during the process whereby it is given its finalshape and characteristics;

Fig. 3 illustrates diagrammatically two pockets cut from the original knitted material and stretched upon the form of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 illustrates the shape and outline of the pockets after removal from the frame;

Fig. 5 illustrates diagrammatically the manner in which the stretched fabric is cut to separate the portions which are used to form the respective pockets of the brassiere; and

Fig. 6 shows the completed brassiere and the" manner in which these pocket pieces are combined with the rest of the brassiere structure.

As already stated,the knitted material from which my brassiere may be made can be knit on a circular knitting machine which produces gussets or pockets in the fabric. These pockets, shown at 1 and 2 in Fig. l, consist of excess material formed during the knitting {and arewithout seams. It is of course highly desirable that there I should be no seams in brassierepockets, but here toforetheir production has'been' impractical because of the impossibility-ofsecuringthe correct pocket shape in circular knit fabric and of producing flat knit fabric having seamless pockets.

The fabric, produced as described above, with the integral seamless pockets of irregular conical form, is first dyed and then cut as shown in Fig.1 to separate the part including two similar pockets. Then the cut edges are sewn to prevent raveling and the fabric is stretched over the frame 3, shown in Fig. 3, which may be made of any suitable material and which has the outline desired for the pockets of the finished brassiere found in its upper edge 4. A rod 5 provided on either side with outwardly projecting needles or points 6 is adjustably attached to the frame by meanssuch as forks '7 and is provided with means for main-' taining it in any adjusted position, such as screws 8 engaging with slots 9 in the frame.

The fabric, including two unformed pockets as above described, is stretched over this frame, as shown in Fig. 3, and the edges caught upon needles 6. Rod 5 is then pulled down until the fabric is firmly stretched over the frame with the pockets taking the outline of the upper edge 4 thereof. Then rod 5 is secured with the fabric in this stretched condition by tightening screws 8. This not only gives the desired outline to the pockets but also flattens them.

The fabric, thus stretched, is steamed and then allowed to cool and dry upon the frame. .When it is removed it will be found that the pockets have lost their originalshape and outline and have now taken permanently the outline of edge 4 of the frame and also, instead of being generally conical in shape, are exceedingly fiat, as shown in Fig. 4. It will be found that the pockets will retainthis v outline and flatness throughout the life of the brassiere and will not revert t'othe original shape.

7 After the fabric has thus been steamed and set," the individual fiat pockets are cut therefrom, as shown in Fig. 5, after whichthey are sewn together and connected to the rest of the .brassiere to form the completed article, as shown in Fig. 6;

In this way I convert a fabric which is utterly useless for brassieres into avery useful type of fabric for that purpose and obtain a brassiere having seamless fiat pockets of any desired outline, irrespective of their shape and outline in the fabric as originally knit. Since the original-size and shape of the pockets have no effect, within wide limits, upon the size and shape of the finresponding hooks or eyes on tliecitl'iefipie'ce fabric, as at 16. The usual shoul deristraps 17 may also be provided, as shown; l 'lie'proportions of the brassire will, of cb'urse, be deterr'iiiried by the dimensions of its different elements, whereas the shape, size and outlifie'of the pockets: theni selves are determined by the outline and dimen sions of the stretching frame as described above.

, g It-willbe understood;;ofcourse, that theprocess described mayvbe modifiedsothat; Dr example,

pockets'areshaped individually instead of m pairs and numerous other ways without exceeding thescope of this-invention;

H Having'now describedthe object and nature of my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A frame for stretching and shaping brassire pockets comprising a baserod, a pair of bars secured adjacent the ends of said base rod at right angles thereto, an upper framework edge mounted on and carried by said bars, said edge including a portion-at each-end extending from said-ibars so as to"v be converging; away from the base; rod and a portion extending from each of said converging portions and converging in the opposite direction to a point of union, and adjustable means carried by:said barsi foi vertically tensioning the fabric of a material stretched-upon said frame.

7 2. Aframe'foi stretching and shaping brassiere pocketslcomprising a base rod, an upper framework edgesecured to said base rod comprising a pairo'f V -shap'edportions one leg of each portion being. attached to said base rod and the other leg of"e'acliportion united to the corresponding leg ,of the other I whereby theframeirrc'nsk'v edge'has a pair of raised; separated points;,.pointing1i1r the same direction and: adjustable means carriediby said framework for tensioning the fabric of a material stretched upon s'aid frame.

' WILLIAM ROSENTHAL. 

